


Papers, Please

by WheretheRiverflows



Category: Papers Please (Video Game), youtube - Fandom
Genre: Canon Bisexual Reader, F/M, Papers Please AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-07-28 07:51:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7631434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WheretheRiverflows/pseuds/WheretheRiverflows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘Congratulations.  The October Labor Lottery is complete. Your name was pulled. For immediate placement, report to the Ministry Of Admission at Grestin Border Checkpoint . An apartment will be provided for you and your family in East Grestin. Expect a Class-8 dwelling.’<br/>‘Glory to Arstotzka.’</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1: Introdcutions and Explainations

Ok, to start, I looked at the “Papers, Please” wiki and there are many theories about where it takes place such as just European countries like Germany and places nearby, the whole world like United Federation is the United States and such. For myself, I’m just going to make the border check on the border of Russia so characters from inside Arstotzka are Russian and I’m also going to be combining several countries together to match the map in “Papers, Please”. I know I sometimes use continents and sometimes I use countries but I tried to roughly match the country sizes with the canon map.  
Arstotzka- Russia  
Kolechia- Europe, Greenland  
Obristan- Canada, Alaska  
Impor- Asia  
Antegria- Africa  
Republia- South America  
United Federation- U.S, Mexico  
Just so everything is clear, I did a lot of extensive research on this and it took a very long time to gather everything I would need to make this as cool/realistic or authentic as possible. Why would you do this, you ask? I am a writer and writing is my passion. A reminder though, this is just my placement of the countries in “Papers, Please” and if you don’t like it, that’s fine. Correct geography does not really exist here as it is a work of fiction. I will not be changing this for anyone because it’s my writing and I will do with it what I please. I will also be changing the ending slightly and altering the time frame so instead of a quick burn romance, its a little slower paced. With that being said, I hope you enjoy this story!


	2. Chapter 2: Wax Seals and Ripped Bags

Hello readers! Before we begin, I would like to say that I do not own any canon characters mentioned in this story. Nor do I own the game or any of the real life people mentioned. I also don’t own you of course.  
(To make things easier, I just chose your parents and your sisters names but you can imagine them as something else if you want)  
Hope you enjoy!

You trudged down the street to your small house that you shared with your mother, father, and younger sister. Before walking up the small driveway, you opened the mailbox and shuffled through the envelopes. You came upon on envelope with Arstotzka’s official government wax seal on it. Your stomach twisted and your heart raced as you knew what this would mean for you.  


You rushed inside, letting your coat, bag, and shoes clutter the entry way. You knew everyone was home though so no one would trip on your things.  


“MAMA! PAPA! NINA!”  


Your whole family came running into the kitchen where you were sitting at the table. You held up the envelope clutched in your hands and they all had similar looks of shock on their faces.  


Your sister, younger than you by three years, rushed forward and demanded you open it. Your parents held each other tightly. You ripped open the envelope and held the first document in your shaking hands. You read aloud to your family.  


‘Congratulations. The October Labor Lottery is complete. Your name was pulled. For immediate placement, report to the Ministry Of Admission at Grestin Border Checkpoint . An apartment will be provided for you and your family in East Grestin. Expect a Class-8 dwelling.’  


‘Glory to Arstotzka.’  


You looked up at your parents with glossy eyes and they looked back at you with the same expression. This was your one and only chance at keeping yourselves through the winter and you had done it! You had gotten in! You had gotten a well-paying job with a new home and it was closer to the city. You would no longer have to plan for days to make the trip from your isolated country village.  


You embraced your mother and father, tears now streaming down your cheeks. Nina came and nearly tackled you to the floor. You sunk down to your knees and cried with your family. You would make it.  


You would make it.  


The next day was spent packing all your belongings together. None of you had much other than necessary. Your mother was bringing her music box that she had since she was small and her knitting, crocheting and sewing kits. Your father was bringing his accordion and the coffee mug you had made him when you were ten.  


Your sister was bringing her first dress she had ever made. It was a beautiful thing that had many bright colors and patterns on her and it brought out many male suitors that your father turned away because nobody was good enough for his daughters. Your sister was also bringing along her large collection of necklaces, bracelets and other pieces of jewelry that she had collected through the years. The one she hadn’t taken off was a necklace you had given her almost four years ago. It had little sister and her name engraved on it. You had a similar one, only it had your name and big sister on it.  


You were bringing along your favorite, and only, stuffed animal. You had slept with it for twenty two years and thanks to your mother, it was never dirty or torn more than a day. You had debated what else you were going to bring. You very well knew you couldn’t take much. Your suitcase only held enough for all your clothes and a few small valuables.  


You decided on two books from your younger years. One was A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett that your father had gifted you on your ninth birthday. He read it to you every night until you finished and then you read it again and again until you received the other book. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury had been gifted to you by your favorite teacher when you were sixteen. You had admitted that it was your favorite group reading project and she had given you her teachers copy at the end of the school year. She had retired that year as well so you never had her in class again.  


The rest of the day was spent saying goodbye to your close friends and family in your village. Your grandmother was the only person you were really upset about leaving. She was in great health and could even still drive but that didn’t mean you didn’t worry about her. She was also very upset for your leaving but she was also very proud of you for getting a job and made you promise to send her delicacies that she couldn’t leave town to get.  


You packed everything in your mother’s car and as you were leaving, the towns’ people had made a banner that had “Congratulations on your job, Долли!” (Dolly)  


You blushed at the nickname gifted to you from you childhood but you thanked them as they packed it away in the trunk. One more round of kisses on the cheek and suffocating hugs came to you and you were finally off, leaving your home town of Miatsk.  


Instead of taking your time and resting for the night, you just took shifts in driving. While you were on your shift, you turned on the radio and decided that you should listen to the news.  


“On tonight’s news, the October Labor Lottery had finished. Two names were pulled.”  


‘Two,’ you thought to yourself. You frowned and turned it up a little bit more, straightening yourself back on the road.  


“Yes, that is correct. Two names were pulled to work at the border check point for East Grestin. One man and one woman.”  


“Let’s hope they will both be safe and will do well on the job.”  


“Yes. Now, onto the weather forecast-“  


You switched the radio to a random music station and clenched your fists around the thin faux leather covering of the steering wheel. You didn’t even think about the dangers you would face when dealing with border control. Well, you were just approving passports but still. You’d have to deal with dangerous people at some point. Wanted criminals, Arstotzka rebels, secret orders. A chill ran up your spine.  


You woke in the early morning to see the tall buildings of Grestin. Nina had shaken you awake and you grumbled to yourself about it being too early. East Grestin was only twenty minutes away though and you woke yourself up with your eagerness to get ready for work.  


Pulling up to the Ministry of Admission building, you swallowed hard and your father rubbed your back.  


“Don’t worry, Долли. You'll be fine. We'll be waiting right here for you.”  


“I know Papa. Can someone hand me my purse? It might be wedged under the seat.”  


Rrrrrriiipp  


“Nina!”  


“I’m sorry! Really, it was an accident!”  


“I know, I know. Just give it here. We can fix it when we move into the apartment.”  


You were passed your bag and you examined it. Not a big enough tear but it was noticeable. You pulled out your documents and stepped out of the car. Your mother got in the driver’s seat after you and rolled down the window a bit.  


“We might drive around a little bit so we don’t get a ticket. When should be back?”  


“Maybe ten minutes? I don’t really know Mama. Maybe you should get some lunch or something. They might take me to the apartment.”  


“Ok, Долли.”  


You blew your mother a kiss and walked up the steps to the M.O.A building. By the time you got to the top, you were slightly out of breath and you decided to turn around and calm your breathing so you didn’t keel over at the front desk or something. When you looked behind you, you sucked in a breath. The view was incredible.  


The M.O.A building loomed over all of East Grestin and you could easily see all the hustle and bustle of the big city under you. You felt a surge of power and an underlying fear course through you. These people depended on you to keep them safe. You were a part in the law enforcement, of sorts.  


You heard gasps of breaths coming from your right and you looked down to see a man, probably a few years older than you on his knees, crawling up the stairs. You rushed over to him and helped him up the rest of the way and he collapsed, hitting your calves with more force than you were expecting. You fell on your knees and his head fell in your lap.  


“I’m… sorry. I just ….. I just wanted to get…. my papers for… work. Good gods…. that was a lot of … stairs.”  


You wiped the sweat off his forehead with your jacket sleeve and held his cheeks.  


“Are you okay now? I have water if you need it.”  


He waved a thin, pale hand in your general direction and closed his eyes. The door behind you opened and your head popped up. A man in a red uniform was looking at you with a raised eyebrow. He stepped out of the building and stood in front of you and the man who’s head was still on your thighs but his eyes were open again.  


“You are (Y/N) (l/n)?”  


You nodded then spoke up nervously.  


“Yes. Yes, sir I am.”  


He extended a hand to help you up and you looked down worriedly at the man. He looked into your eyes and helped himself up, using his hands to push his butt off the ground first. You then took the hand of the man in red. Once you let go, he held his hands behind his back and turned to the man next to you.  


“You are Sean McLoughlin, yes?”  


“Yes, sir.”  


“Good. It is good for you to meet before you start job. You two will be working together on border checkpoint. Come inside, we discuss matters where it is warm.”  


You felt a hot red blush come over your face as you absorbed the man’s words. You trailed after him, squeaking out a thank you as your coworker, Sean, held the door for you. You walked side by side into the large building and nearly gawked at the sheer size of the inside. The walls were a steely grey that rose high above your heads, about thirty feet tall.  


You cast a glance at Sean to see him looking at you and you both looked away quickly. Once you made it to the man’s office, you could take a full breath again. The atmosphere was so intense in the lobby. Nobody spoke, nobody called in, nothing.  


The man sat in a cushy chair and across from him, there were two straight backed metal chairs. You and Sean both knew better than to sit down before directed.  


“Please. Have a seat. We’ve much to discuss.”  


You had spent about an hour going over rules and regulations and everything that was to be at the border. In no way were you allowed to take bribes. In no way were you allowed to admit anybody that didn’t have proper documentation. You were allowed two warnings on your mistakes each day. Any more than that and you were reduced your pay for the day.  


“Now for your living arrangements. We’ve set up these two apartments in the closest building we could find to the checkpoint. Your homes are a block north from the checkpoint. Here is the address, room numbers, and keys.”  


You both took what was handed to you and the man in red stood up. You shot up and Sean did the same a second after you. The man saluted you but placing his curled up left hand over his chest, directly across the ribcage from the heart and you followed suit. After an agonizing three seconds, you chanted the mantra you had memorized since you could speak.  


“Glory to Arstotzka!”


	3. Chapter 3: Manila Folders and Picking Rooms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow you guys. I cannot believe how fast this story has grown already. It hasn't even been a full day yet! I've written ahead of the game so expect more updates soon. Thank you all so much!!

Hello readers! Before we begin, I would like to say that I do not own any canon characters mentioned in this story. Nor do I own the game or any of the real life people mentioned. I also don’t own you of course.  
Hope you enjoy!

On the way out, you clutched manila folder to your chest, shooting occasional looks to Sean and when he caught you doing so, you looked away. You were sure you looked ridiculous in your old crème sweater and clunky boots that were necessary for harsher winters.  


As you made your way outside, Sean touched your arm and you jumped about three feet in the air.  


“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to apologize for collapsing on you. I was also hoping that when it came around for us to start work, we could walk together since we live in the same building?”  


The whole time he was speaking, he slurred his words together more but you could understand him enough. The tips of his ears were red, as was the tip of his nose but that was probably from the cold.  


“Uhm, it’s fine. The only reason I was standing on the stairs is so that I could control my own breathing.”  


“Yeah, I’m really out of shape,” Sean spoke with a laugh in his voice.  


You visibly look down at him. He didn’t have too bad of a physic. He was obviously genetically skinny. He had long arms and legs but he couldn’t have been more than a couple inches taller than you. (The average height of Russian women is 5 foot 5 inches so he’s about four inches taller than you)  


Sean cleared his throat and you snapped your head up, embarrassed that you were, as your sister would say, checking him out.  


“So, do you want to walk to work together?”  


“Yes. Sure, that sounds nice,” you gave what you hoped was a nice smile and you were rewarded with a smile back. All teeth and crinkled eyes. You liked smiles like his.  


A car horn broke you out of your revere. You saw your mother’s car with Nina hanging out the driver window.  


“Come on, Долли! (Dolly) Show us the new apartment!  


You could hear your mother scolding Nina from the passenger seat. You smiled sheepishly at Sean, only to see him covering his mouth to try and stifle his laughing. You frowned at him.  


“I’m sorry. But, you do have doll like features. The joke isn’t lost on me.”  


“It’s not really a joke. I came from a small farm town and that was my grandmother’s nickname for me. We were out in the market and she used it in front of everybody and nobody called me by my actual name again.”  


“How old were you?”  


“Ten.”  


Sean snorted again and you smacked him gently on the arm. He feigned being hurt and rubbed his arm with a mock pout.  


“Don’t worry. I have the same problem. Mine isn’t as nice though.”  


“What was yours?”  


“Well-“  


“Hey крошечный! (Tiny) Come on! I’m freezing my мячи (male genitalia) off here!”  


You felt your laughter bubble up in you until you couldn’t handle it anymore. You burst out in peals of laughter. The people on the street looked at the man who yelled in horror, some covering their children’s ears which just made you laugh harder. Your sister twisted herself out the driver side window to look at the car behind her. You could faintly hear scolds from Sean’s car.  


“You’re right. My- haha- my nickname isn’t nearly as bad as that. But- hahaha- you should probably go.”  


By this time, you were almost on your knees. Sean looked like he was about to explode.  


“I’m so sorry. My brother’s really impatient.”  


“No. I get it. Younger siblings. Such a pain.”  


“I’m actually the youngest.”  


“Oh. Well, then that kind of explains the nickname.”  


“Yeah. Well, I hope I’ll see you soon? What’s your apartment number?”  


“4D. I think you should be near me.”  


“Yeah. I have 4C.”  


“Cool. Well, see you tomorrow, крошечный.”  


“Good bye, Долли.”  


You walked down the steps quickly but still carefully, not knowing you basically left Sean in the dust. You waited for Nina to get out of the driver’s seat so you could drive to the apartment building. You looked to see Sean just starting down the steps and to know that he was probably watching you made warmth spread gently over your cheeks.  


“I cannot believe the mouth on that boy.”  


“Mama, I think he was older than me. That was my coworker’s older brother.”  


“Their mother should have raised them better.”  


“Mama! I’m sure she did just fine in raising them. Sean turned out okay.”  


“Sean? Oooh. Is that your coworker you were flirting with?”  


“I was not flirting with him. We were talking about our work schedules.”  


“Uh huh.”  


“Hush. Let me get us there in one piece.”  


You pulled up in front of the address that was printed on the piece of paper and parked the car. You turned it off and immediately unlocked the trunk. A car pulled up behind you and nearly hit you. You looked and Sean was in the drivers’ seat, shooting you a cheeky look. You shot one back at him and proceeded to open the trunk with caution as to not hit his car.  


Nina came up beside you and hit your arm. You glared at her and rubbed the spot where she hit you.  


“Not flirting huh?”  


“No, not flirting. Now unpack your stuff.”  


Your sister huffed and did as she was told.  


“Younger siblings are a total pain huh?”  


You yelped as a voice whispered in your ear. It was Sean’s brother, the one yelling profanities from the car.  


“Yeah. Sure. You’re Sean’s brother right?”  


“I’m Malcom. I’m the oldest.”  


“I’m Jacob. Second oldest.”  


“(Y/n). Oldest? I have to unpack. Sorry.”  


You scrunched your face up in what you hoped was apologetic.  


“Malcom! Jacob! Get your stuff, жопа мешки!” (Ass bags)  


You giggled at Sean’s profanities as well, even more so when, you assumed, his mother smacked him on the back of the head and yelled the same thing he did without the insult.  


You grabbed your suitcase and your bag and gave Sean a little wave before heading up with the rest of your family. You had given one of the keys to your mother and kept the rest with you so you had to knock on the door with your foot to let someone know you were at the door.  


Nina opened the door and promptly pulled you in. You nearly dropped your bag on the floor she pulled you in so quickly.  


You looked around the whole apartment. It was open concept with a kitchen area to your right and a living room to your left and in front of you was a kitchen table with six chairs around it. On the far left and right, there were hallways leading to the bedrooms probably. The walls were about twenty feet high and you thought to yourself that you would have to do some serious decorating. It looked too barren in here.  


“We have an extra room! Do you think Nana could come live with us?”  


“I don’t know if we’d be able to afford it. Plus, Nana loves Miatsk. Do you really think she would come?”  


“Maybe if we asked her. I feel like she loves us a little more than a smelly farm town.”  


“Hey,” you spoke sharply. “You were born in that smelly farm town. So was I and so was Mama and so was Nana. I don’t think she’d be willing to give all that fresh air up just to live closer to us.”  


Seeing the upset look on Nina’s face, you spoke up again.  


“Ask Mama. Maybe she’ll give you some money for the payphone to call Nana.”  


Nina’s face immediately brightened and she skipped away to the hallway on the right, just behind the kitchen. You smiled softly and shuffled to the left hallway. You nearly tripped over Nina’s stuff in the hallway but she hadn’t claimed a room yet so you set your own bags down out of the way and took a step further into the hallway.  


“I’m going to call Nana, (Y/N)! Do you want to come?”  


“No. But send her my best love and kisses. Tell her I’ll send her some pastries soon!”  


“Okay!”  


The door slammed closed and you chuckled. You pushed open the first rooms’ door. It was about standard size for a big city, which was pretty big. The bed was pushed against the wall and was a bunk bed of sorts but instead of two beds, it had an upper bed area and below it, a desk and chair. The far wall had large windows that curved at the top of the ceiling and they even opened up to a small balcony overlooking the city. That window couldn’t see much because the buildings around it were larger than four floors. But it had a great view of the street down below which would be perfect for Nina.  


Your sister loved to people watch. When she was very little, she would sit on the bench under the living room window and giggle and talk about the people walking by and make up stories about what they were doing and where they were going. At the age of seven, she had already gotten to know everybody and she knew her stories weren’t real.  


By the time she was around eleven or twelve, she realized she had a gift for drawing profiles. When she was finished with school, she had given everyone in town all the drawings she had done of them over the years from the very first ones to the ones leading up to her graduation. Instead of being creeped out like you thought they would, they were all flattered and complimented her, saying she should pursue a job as an artist. Maybe this was also her ticket.  


You left the bedroom to her and shuffled down to what would now be your bedroom. You pushed open the door with your foot and gasped. It was perfect for you! There were large windows in here too but the balcony was much larger. The bed was the same in your room as your sisters, just a lighter shade of wood.  


There was a mattress and pillow already there on the frame; you just had to get the blankets from the car to cover them. But, there was one thing you had to do before that. You walked over to your suitcase and dragged it to the middle of the floor. Unlatching the straps, you took out your books and your stuffed animal, a pink bunny the size of your torso. You squeezed it tight before whispering in its soft velvety ears, worn away by time.  


“We finally did it, Angel. We made it to the big city.”


	4. Chapter 4: First Days and Unexpected Gifts

Hello readers! Before we begin, I would like to say that I do not own any canon characters mentioned in this story. Nor do I own the game or any of the real life people mentioned. I also don’t own you of course.  
Hope you enjoy!

You woke up early the next morning to a delicious smell traveling all throughout your house. You were surprised you didn’t feel Nina in the bed you shared because she slept even later than you. Sitting up and rubbing your eyes, you swung your leg over the side of the bed, only to be met with air. Remembering your new surroundings too late, you fell the few feet from your bed to the floor. Pain shot up your side and you groaned.  


Nina swept open the door, seemingly waiting for this moment.  


“I made the same mistake this morning. Mama and Papa went to the market and got some amazing things for breakfast if you couldn’t tell. Hopefully you’ll get a large pay for today.”  


You hummed and nodded absentmindedly. Now that your bladder was empty from your fall and the adrenaline was out of your system as well, you were tired once again.  


“Papa will also do your laundry as he promised he would do mine. “  


You were helped up and immediately went over to the provided two door wardrobe. After changing your undergarments, you pulled out a royal blue cable knit sweater and black slim fitting jeans. The sweaters slight folding scoop neck provided you with the perfect place to bury your nose when you went outside. You also chose a pair of lace up dark brown boots with faux fur poking out of the top.  


The early morning sunrise blinded you a bit and you idly thought about buying curtains on your way home from work. You shuffled out into the hallway and let your nose guide you to the kitchen where the delectable smells were coming from.  


“Good morning, Долли. It's nice to finally see your beautiful face.”  


You yawned and grunted lightly as you shuffled over to the coffee pot. You poured yourself a glorious cup of the nectar of the gods and sprinkled a little sugar and creamer in it. You gave your father a kiss on the cheek and went to sit with your mother and Nina.  


Your father brought over serving plates of breakfast. There was fresh sausage and fried eggs, along with toast and cheese. Both the coffee pot and tea pot were placed in the center of the table. A loaf of black bread was placed on the table as well as butter.  


“Thank you Papa.”  


“Thank you Papa.”  


“Thank you Andrei.”  


“No problem. It is only appropriate that I provide for the most important women in my life.”  


You started the meal in relative silence. A memory resurfaces from yesterday and you broached the subject gently.  


“Nina, what did Nana say yesterday?”  


“She said she’s think about it and get back to me. But when I told her about the pastries, she told me to tell you to hold off on them so maybe she’ll come. We need to buy a home phone in the meantime so Nana can call us for updates.”  


You nodded and excused yourself from the table. You returned with a thick ballpoint pen and a pad of paper in hand.  


“What do we need for today that I can get on the way home?”  


You had written curtains and home phone on and were waiting for items to come flying.  


“We could all use some new socks I bet.”  


“We’re having pork for dinner but that needs to cook all day but if you could get me some marinating sauce for drizzling that would be lovely.”  


“I wanted to get a Grestin charm for my charm bracelet. If you can’t find one, don’t worry though.”  


You wrote down your mothers, fathers, and sisters requests and tore the page from the pad. You finished your breakfast and shoved your feet into your shoes. You shrugged your coat on and placed the folded up piece of paper in your jacket pocket.  


“Oh, Долли! I packed your lunch for today. I hope you stay warm and toasty for your first day.”  


You thanked your father warmly, taking your now mended bag with your lunch in it. Just as you opened the door, Sean held his hand up to knock.  


“Oh! Good morning, Sean,” you beamed up at the man.  


“G-good morning, (Y/N). Are you ready for work?”  


“Indeed I am. Bye Papa! Bye Mama! Bye Nina! I’ll see you after work!”  


Your family called their goodbyes from the kitchen table as they watched you walk out with Sean.  


As you made your way down the sidewalk, you chatted idly.  


“So, how did you sleep?”  


“Good. Great even. You?”  


“Oh wonderful. I used to share a bed with Nina so I’m used to her kicking me awake.”  


Sean chuckled but gasped as he remembered something. He pulled out a red orange azalea. He handed it to you and you sucked in a gentle breath.  


“Oh Sean, it’s beautiful, thank you.”  


The border checkpoint came into view then and you separated to your own booth across from Sean’s. You couldn’t see him from where you were sitting but the thought of him right near you warmed you up.  


You became acquainted with your work area, finding the heating system and flicking it on. You then picked up the stapled packet placed neatly in the center of your work space. Sitting down in a foldout chair with a small cushion, you read to yourself.  


‘Inspector, welcome to your new position at Grestin Border Checkpoint. Stamp passport entry visa and return documents to entrant. Entry is restricted to Arstotzkan citizens only. Deny all foreigners.’  


‘Glory to Arstotzka.’  


You hummed to yourself. Simple enough. You pulled out your rule book and opened it to the Arstotzkan passport page. You had never left your country before, you rarely left your town, so you’d never seen what a real passport looked like.  


You waited for a bit until the clock struck six and opened the shutters on your booth. You pressed a small, shiny orange button that would emit a noise, signaling that the first person in line could come forward.  


A woman, older than you but not over forty, stood in front of your window.  


“Papers, please,” you chirped in a friendly manner.  


“Here then. It’s so nice to see such a friendly face this early in the morning.”  


You smiled warmly and looked at your rule book. It looked like the Arstotzkan passport so you pulled out your approved stamp and pushed it down, the metal hinges clanking as you did so.  


“I’m just doing what I can, Miss. Glory to Arstotzka.”  


The woman waved and walked through the other side of your booth. You smiled and pressed the orange button again.  


The next person was a man about your age.  


“Papers, please.”  


“You know, you’re a very pretty girl.”  


“Thank you.”  


A passport was handed to you and you opened it. The country displayed was Impor. You frowned slightly.  


“Maybe if you approve me, we could get a drink or something later.”  


“I’m sorry sir. We’re only allowing Arstotzkan’s into the country.”  


You stamped his passport ‘Denied’ and he walked out of the booth with a disappointed look on his face. You breathed a sigh and pressed the button.  


A disgruntled woman walked through and slapped her passport on the table.  


“I’ve waited in that damn line for eight hours. I hope it was worth it.”  


You masked an annoyed look by casting a glance at her passport which looked nothing like the Arstotzkan one. It was from Republia. You took a bit of pleasure in stamping it with the denied stamp and passed it back to her with a small smile.  


“Unbelievable! Go to hell!”  


Regardless of her cursing, she left your booth.  


The button was pressed again and an attractive young man came through. He had curly hair and wide lensed glasses.  


“Papers, please.”  


He passed over his passport with a shy smile. He was an Arstotzkan. You approved his passport and gave it back to him. When he didn’t leave, you were confused until he handed you a smaller slip of paper and left. You looked down at the paper and blushed. It was a phone number and a name scrawled underneath.  


‘William.’  


You tucked the piece of paper in your pocket and resumed your work.  


When the siren sounded off, signaling the end of the day, you yawned and stretched. You took your time in getting your coat on. Packing your lunch containers in your bag, you were startled by a knocking on the window on your booth door.  


It was Sean with a cheeky smile. He knew he’d scared you. You stuck your tongue out at him and slung your bag over your shoulder.  


As you were walking home, you talked about work.  


“I had a guy that came and told me it was a mistake to open the checkpoint. Like it was my decision!”  


You giggled a little bit, and then became serious.  


“We’re going to run into all kinds of people. I had this rude woman tell me she waited for eight hours in line. I was so happy to deny her that she even cursed at me and I didn’t care.”  


“What’d she say?”  


“She just told me to go to hell. Oh. I have to do some shopping before I head home.”  


“I’ll still tag along if you’ll let me.”  


“Sure, why not?”  


You made your way to a small little clothing store and purchased a few packets of socks for your family. You also managed to find a charm with ‘EAST GRESTIN’ on it. Finally you made your way to the store and purchased some marinade.  


“So your father cooks and your mother goes out looking for work?”  


“Yeah. Mama’s always been the independent woman. Papa never really felt comfortable working in factories and such. He was taught to provide for his family and the only way he really knew how was to cook wonderful meals for him. His father owned a butcher shop and his mother owned a bakery so when they got married, he learned all the tricks of the trade.”  


“Wow. Your family sounds pretty cool. Does your sister have a job?”  


“I don’t think so. She’s really good at drawing so I hope that she gets some sort of money from that. Knowing my sister, as I do, she’s probably already drawn you and your family.”  


“Are you serious? Doesn’t she need us as models for that?”  


“No. She used to sit by the window and draw people from memory. Her mind is almost photographic by now.”  


“That’s amazing.”  


By this time, you had found your way back to the apartment building. You continued talking until you made it to your floor.  


“So I’ll see you tomorrow then.”  


“Yes. Good night, крошечный,"(Tiny) you said with a smile.  


“Good night, Долли.”(Dolly)  


You just fit your key in your lock before deciding to turn around.  


“Sean?”  


“Yes?”  


“Would you and your family like to come over for dinner tomorrow?”  


“I’ll have to ask but I’m sure we’d all love to.”  


“Great.”  


Entering your apartment, you held up the shopping bags to your family seated around the table playing cards.  


“I have socks, sauce, and a charm.”  


Your family rushed to you to grab their requested items. When you held two new pairs of socks in your hands, you remembered you forgot curtains and smacked your forehead.  


“I’ll have to buy curtains tomorrow.”  


“No you won’t. Your Mama went out today and on her way home from her new job, she found you some beautiful curtains that she thinks you’ll love.”  


You hugged your mother and went to put your things away. You decided not to look at your curtains yet so they could be a bed time surprise.  


After you had eaten dinner and played a couple rounds of cards, you told your family that you had invited Sean and his family over for dinner. Your sisters’ comment on the matter made you blush and excuse yourself. You decided to get ready for bed.  


You turned on your light and gasped. The curtains were beautiful. The color was a dark grey and had teal dots of various sizes. There were also white lines that weaved in and out through the dots. You loved them. You got ready for bed and turned off the light once again. You shut the curtains, cutting off the city lights from your sight.  


You crawled into bed, full, warm, and happy. Your eyes drifted shut and you fell into a deep and restful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5: Dinner Invites and Unfortunate Events

Hello readers! Before we begin, I would like to say that I do not own any canon characters mentioned in this story. Nor do I own the game or any of the real life people mentioned. I also don’t own you of course.   
Hope you enjoy!

You woke up to a newspaper swatting you on the butt. You let out a screech and almost fell again.  
“What the hell? Nina? What is it?”  
She threw the paper at you and giggled, walking out into the hallway. You squinted at the newspaper but because your room was so dark, you couldn’t read it.  
You dropped the pile on the floor and followed after it, climbing down the ladder sluggishly. You turned on the light, hissing slightly from the shock of brightness. You picked up the paper once again.  
‘Grestin Checkpoint a Success!’  
‘Entry Restrictions to Relax, Admit Foreigners’  
You covered your mouth and yawned. You don’t know why your sister would show you that. You’d probably hear about it at work. Your rule book would no doubt have been updated. You decided to get ready for the day.  
You dressed yourself in a similar outfit as yesterday. You slipped on a grey sweater and slim blue jeans. Your donned your feet in fluffy grey socks and pulled out plain brown boots with clips at the top of them. You grabbed a maroon scarf and walked into the kitchen.  
Breakfast was already on the table. It consisted of porridge and fried eggs and black bread again. You poured yourself a cup of tea and dumped sugar in it.  
“What should I make for dinner tonight, Долли?”  
“Whatever you want Papa.”  
“Alright. I’m making potatoes and I’ll see what meat is on sale today at the market.”  
“Great! I should get going now. Anybody need anything today?”  
Everybody shook their heads so you pulled on your boots and wrapped your scarf around you. Your jacket was on and your bag was slung around your shoulders so you headed for the door.  
“Bye Mama, Papa, Nina. See how Nana’s doing today, alright?”  
Your sister saluted you and you rolled your eyes. Opening the door, you were surprised by Sean again.  
“Waiting for someone?”  
Sean giggled and heled out his arm for you as you closed your apartment door. You took it gently and made your way to work.  
“So, what’s for dinner?”  
“You’re coming?”  
“Of course we are! My mom’s actually really excited. She’s wanted to make some friends.”  
“Well, I don’t know if she’ll be able to be friends with my mom. She’s the one working.”  
“No, no. I told her about your dad and she nearly cried. Expect her to nearly pounce on your dad to share his recipes.”  
You giggled. “I don’t think that’s going to happen. That would ruin the secret. Dinner is potatoes and whatever meat is on sale. My Papa will make it taste amazing.”  
Sean nodded and licked his lips. Before you separated again, he handed you another flower. This time it was a bright blue columbine. You thanked him profusely and made your way to your booth. As you took off your coat, you gazed at the flower. Yesterday’s flower was still here. You’d forgotten to take it home.  
You pulled your hair up in a ponytail and tucked the flower stem in your hair. You finally put your attention to the paper stack on your desk.  
‘Inspector, from today, foreigners with a valid passport are permitted to enter. Your booth’s inspection hardware is now installed. Check all passport information carefully for discrepancies. Deny any entrant with inconsistent information.  
Enter inspect mode using the red button on your desk while inspecting. Highlight two pieces of discrepant information for further options.’  
‘Simple enough,’ you thought to yourself.  
You pressed your orange button and the first person came through, a woman in her mid-twenties.  
“Papers, please.”  
She was from Impor. Yudina Maximova. You checked that the date wasn’t expired and everything else was in order. You stamped ‘Approved’ on her passport and handed it back to her with a smile. She replicated it and walked off.  
The next time you looked at the clock, it was four pm. Your mouth watered slightly at the thought of dinner so soon.  
You pressed your button a little hard and a tall man with sideburns came in. You opened his passport and started checking him out. When you were about to pull out the stamp, an alarm sounded and you looked out the window. Someone was running across the border. Your shutters closed with a loud metallic clank.  
“GET DOWN!”  
The man dropped to the floor and you did as well, crawling under your desk. You could hear gun shots and finally a loud explosion shook your booth. You whimpered.  
You stood up shakily and stamped the passport ‘Approved’. You muttered a small ‘sorry’ as he went on his way.  
A knock on your door made you squeal. It was just Sean. You opened the door and he hugged you to his chest.  
“Are you okay?”  
You gripped the back of his jacket tightly.  
“Are you?”  
“Don’t ask about me. How are you?”  
“I-I’m fine.”  
“Inspectors.”  
You pushed Sean away, embarrassed at your close contact. You saw a guard standing there, slightly bloodied on his left side but no obvious injuries.  
“You are both free to go home. There is no point in staying. There is no one to let through.”  
You nodded gently and Sean saluted the guard. You followed suit after a moment.  
“Here, let me help you get your coat on.”  
You nodded numbly and let Sean help you. He even grabbed your bag for you, though you took it from him and slung it over your shoulders.  
On the walk home, you clung to Sean’s arm tightly. He didn’t protest, even going so far as to pull you closer to him as a harsh wind blew up in your faces.  
You stood in the hallway between your homes, looking awkwardly back and forth at the matching wooden doors.  
“You’re still invited to dinner.”  
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”  
You nodded and gave him one last hug which he returned wholeheartedly.  
You unlocked the door and shuffled through, jumping a foot in the air when you were attacked by your father and sister in a hug.  
“Oh my Lord, Долли! Are you okay?”  
“I’m fine, Papa.”  
“You’re not okay, (Y/N). You’re whiter than a ghost. I made you some hot chocolate. Is Sean okay?”  
“Yes. I told him he could still come over for dinner if he wanted to.”  
Your sister nodded and brought you over to the small couch in the living room area you had yet to sit in. Two other couches formed an open square facing a television resting in a light wooded hutch.  
Nina brought over a tall mug of hot chocolate for you and you warmed your hands on it.  
“I have some good news.”  
You rubbed your eye and looked at Nina curiously, already recovering slightly now that you were safe in your home.  
“I was drawing in a café this morning and an art critic saw me. He asked me if I was a professional and I said no so he gave me his business card. I called him when I got home and he asked me to come in sometime tomorrow morning for an interview.”  
“Oh Nina! That’s wonderful!”  
You set down your mug on the side table and gave your sister a hug.  
“Also, great news! Nana said she would come live with us! She just has to have some help packing and someone needs to come and get her.”  
“Nina and I are going in a few days so plan with your mother what you want for dinner so all you’ll have to do is heat it up,” your father spoke from the kitchen.  
“Alright Papa.”  
Soon enough, your mother rushed in from work and seeing the back of your head over the couch, she collapsed onto the floor on her knees. You all rushed to her and she just grabbed the back of your neck, pulling you to her chest.  
“I was so worried all day, my детка.”  
You hugged your mom back and helped her up. You made her a cup of tea as Nina sat her down in your spot, relaying her good news as she did to you.  
“I don’t want Nana here now. What about that attack? Your sister could have died.”  
“Mama, please. Nana will be safe here.”  
Your mother looked at you skeptically, as she should. You were being a little optimistic. You could have died. But you didn’t.  
You handed her the cup of tea and she drank slowly. You heard a gentle knock at the door and you motioned for Papa to turn on the radio. He did as instructed, putting on some soft music.  
You opened the door with a warm smile and were surprised when a dish was shoved in your face.  
You came face to face with a short woman who you recognized vaguely as Sean’s mother. You saw a good amount of details similar to her in his face.  
“Oh thank you! Come in, dinner is almost ready, I believe.”  
You remembered what you were wearing and you definitely thought you could have changed into something nicer. You were still wearing your clothes from work, minus your shoes and scarf.  
Sean’s family piled in, placing their shoes at the door and walking through. You directed them to sit while you made tea and coffee. Your mother put on her best face and made small talk with Sean’s mother, who insisted you all call her Dina.  
You passed mugs around and poured tea and or coffee into their mugs. You moved back into the kitchen to put the teapot and coffee pot back in their respective places. You watched as your father uncovered the wrapped dish Sean’s mom brought.  
“Pickled cucumbers! Thank you Dina!”  
You heard Dina’s tinkling laugh from the living room and smiled.  
Dinner was served soon and you all ate to your hearts content. Once you finished, you helped Nina in the kitchen with the dishes. She brought in the dishes and you washed them. A knock came from the doorway as Nina just came back in with a few more plates.  
“Need any help?” Sean.  
“We need a dryer if that’s fine with you.”  
Sean shuffled over to your right side and took a drying towel, wiping the soaking dishes down.  
“Your family is really nice. Where do the plates go?”  
“Thank you. Yours is too. Over your head on the right hand side. I’m glad Nina didn’t say anything embarrassing.”  
“Yeah. Same here with my brothers. Silverware?”  
You suspected it had something to do with the attack that she was going easy with you.  
“Drawer on your left.”  
“Do you think it’s because of the attack they’re being nice to us?”  
You giggled. “That’s just what I was thinking.”  
You continued washing dishes, unaware of your audience watching you from the doorway.


	6. Chapter 6: Long Nights and Little Kisses

Hello readers! Before we begin, I would like to say that I do not own any canon characters mentioned in this story. Nor do I own the game or any of the real life people mentioned. I also don’t own you of course.   
Hope you enjoy!

After everyone went to bed, you stayed up. You were restless. You paced the floor of your room in the dark, the city lights illuminating the small space enough so you wouldn’t bump into anything.  
You scrubbed your face with your clammy palms. You couldn’t believe that people had died today. You cast a glance at your alarm clock.  
‘Yesterday,’ your bitter thoughts said.  
It was currently one in the morning. You groaned quietly, not happy with the insomniac state you were currently in. Thinking of the one thing that might calm you down, you took the risk of sneaking into your sister’s room.  
“Nina,” you hissed.  
“Yes?”  
You stepped into your sister’s room.  
“Can I sleep with you?”  
“……..Yes.”  
You sighed and climbed up the ladder to your younger sister. She had opened the blankets and you climbed in, cuddling next to her.  
“I thought you died.”  
“It felt like I might.”  
“What was it like?”  
“Scary.”  
Nina stayed silent as you worked up your strength to describe it to her.  
“In my booth, I have these metal shutters that close automatically when someone jumps over the wall. Don’t even get me started on the alarm. I saw a person running through; I couldn’t tell if they were male or female. The one guard at the end was shooting, but I wasn’t looking. I was hiding under my desk. The person stopped I assume because then I heard the bomb going off. When Sean walked me home, I saw….”  
Blood. Blood and body parts and uniforms.  
You whimpered and Nina tugged your sleep shirt.  
“I’ll be much safer I promise.”  
“Keep Arstotzka safe for Nana.”  
“I will.”  
You woke to Mama shaking you gently. You and Nina were closer together than you remembered last night.  
“Oh, Долли. I think you should stay home today.”  
“I can’t Mama. I have to work.”  
Your mother didn’t say anything but she clearly wasn’t happy.  
After you had dressed yourself in another pair of blue jeans and a grey long sleeved shirt, you had breakfast. It was a mostly quiet event. Nina repeated she had her interview today and that she would go around noon. You yawned and rested your chin in your hand.  
“Are you sure that you have to go to work today, Долли?”  
“Yes, Papa. If I didn’t, I would be out of a job.”  
Your family looked at you worriedly. You looked awful. You had a restless sleep, tossing and turning a bit before Nina had to squish your whole body down.  
A knock at the door startled you and your family. Nina walked over to the door and opened it to reveal Sean, looking much like you did. Nina invited him to sit and have some coffee. He obliged softly, not like his normal self.  
He situated himself next to you and your mother decided to go and get ready for work. Your father went into the kitchen when Nina yelled for help about not knowing how to work the new coffee machine.  
You sat with Sean in silence for a moment or two more when he finally spoke up.  
“How did you sleep last night?”  
You leaned in close. “Terrible. I couldn’t get to sleep until, maybe, two and then I kept having nightmares.”  
Sean nodded, signaling that he was mostly the same. He reached out a hand to your face and ran his thumb gently under your eye, where the dark shadows lay. You felt a heat come over your cheeks. His face was so close to yours and his eyes, though slightly dull from lack of sleep, still shone clear blue.  
You heard footsteps and Sean quickly retreated with his hand.  
“Here, Долли. I thought this might make today a bit more bearable.”  
Your mother came out with one of your father’s favorite plaid button up shirts. It was already unbuttoned and she helped you put your arms through it. You thanked her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  
“We should probably get going, Sean.”  
Sean nodded and you walked to the door. You had a limited amount of shoes so you decided to wear your old boots. You didn’t think you’d need them for snow today but the way they molded to your feet reminded you of home and gave you comfort.  
With your coat and bag, you wound your arm around Sean’s and set off for work.  
Today’s flower was a small daisy. You thanked Sean with a squeeze of his hand and left for your booth.  
‘Inspector, entry for non-citizens is now regulated. All foreigners require a valid entry ticket. Verify information before stamping passport entry visa and returning all documents to entrant.’  
‘Glory to Arstotzka’  
You took a deep breath and pressed the button. You would make it through work today. Just think Nana will be here in a few days.  
“Papers, please.”  
The man handed you his passport and entry ticket. They were only valid today, so you made sure to check the date. All seemed well. You stamped the passport and he went on his way.  
The next few people were okay so you let them through as well. About half way through your day, you were about to approve a woman who looked to be in her sixties. The date on her entry ticket was wrong. It was scheduled for tomorrow.  
You frowned and denied her access and she scoffed at you.  
The end of the day came faster than you thought it might have. This time, Sean waited for you outside the booth so he didn’t scare you.  
“Are you okay from yesterday?”  
Sean’s question was muffled slightly with his scarf but you still heard most of what he said.  
“Yeah. I’m fine. I was a little on edge though. I probably shouldn’t be alone any time soon though.”  
As you said this, you unlocked your door. On the backside of it, there was a note.  
“Долли, Mama got home early so we’re getting food for you and her while Nina and I are gone. Nina had her first appointment today. Yay! She won’t be home until dinner. –Papa <3”  
You sighed and turned to see if Sean would maybe keep you company when you startled. He was just standing there, staring at you.  
“Uhm, Papa and Mama went out and Nina won’t be back. Do you want to come in?”  
You could see Sean’s ears turn pink at the fact he was caught.  
“Y-yes. Sure.”  
You smiled shyly and swept your arm into your home, inviting him in.  
As you both stripped off your coats and shoes, you decided to share some good news.  
“My Nana is coming to live with us.”  
“Really? The one who came up with the nickname?”  
“Yes. She’s my father’s mother so she’s the baker as well. I think she’d really like you.”  
Sean’s cheeks turned pink at the compliment.  
“So, I assume our apartments have the same layout. Where would your Nana sleep?”  
“She’d probably sleep in the hallway with my parents. Nina and I have the bedrooms down here,” you pointed to where your bedroom was located before walking down it.  
“Mama told me that the beds on hers and Papa’s hallway have regular beds.”  
“Regular beds?  
You opened the door to your bedroom and flicked on the light. Your bedroom lit up and Sean sucked in a breath.  
“Jeez. That’s a long fall.”  
“Yeah. I fell on my first day of work and I almost fell again yesterday. I’m seriously glad Nana will just have a bed closer to the floor. She tosses and turns in bed like nobody I’ve ever seen. When my sister and I shared a room, she complained that I did that too.”  
Sean laughed and you went along with him. He walked over slowly to your curtains and touched them with his index finger.  
“These are so thick. They’re beautiful.”  
“That’s not even the best part.”  
Sean cast a glance back to you and you reached over his shoulder, your chest pressing lightly into his back as you pulled the curtains away.  
“I haven’t actually been out here yet but I feel like I might get a table and some chairs or something. Make it look really nice.”  
You unlocked the door and twisted the handle. As you opened the door, a blast of cold air swept through your room, raising your hair off and away from your face and neck.  
Sean watched, paralyzed, as he caught a glimpse of your slender neck and part of your shoulder and collar bone. He felt his face go hot for the third time since he stepped foot in your apartment.  
“Woah! Okay, closing that now!”  
You giggled as you closed and locked the door once again. You pulled the curtains closed and fixed your hair a bit.  
“Let’s never do that again,” you said as you turned back to Sean.  
Sean reached out his hand gently and brushed a lock of hair from your forehead and placing it behind your ear. You felt your cheeks and neck grow hot. Looking up at Sean, you saw him looking down at you intensely. You felt yourself lean in unconsciously and saw that he was doing the same.  
“(Y/N)!!! I’M BACK!”  
Nina.  
You jerked away from Sean, knocking into the window. You yelped as you hit your elbow against the glass. Sean grabbed your forearm and cradled your elbow. You looked back up at him and his eyes were full of concern for you.  
“(Y/N)? You would not BELIEVE the amazing first day I had!”  
Sean brought your elbow up to his mouth and kissed it gently. He released your arm and before losing his courage, kissed you on the forehead gently.  
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
You stood still as Sean walked out of your room, giving a small greeting to Nina before you heard the door close gently. You moved away from the window and pulled out your desk chair, plopping down in it and putting your head in your hands.  
‘What the hell?’


	7. Chapter 7: Cinnamon Kisses and Night on the Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, so, so, so sorry for the long absence! I know school isn't an excuse but it's really been whooping my butt. I wish you all a good new year and I hope this makes it a little better! I've had this sitting in my drafts for the longest time and I finally finished this :)

Hello readers! Before we begin, I would like to say that I do not own any canon characters mentioned in this story. Nor do I own the game or any of the real life people mentioned. I also don’t own you of course.   
Hope you enjoy!

After dinner, you decided to head to bed early. But not matter what you did to tire yourself out, it didn’t work. You laid out your clothing, you rearranged your small collection of pillows, and you even organized your dresser drawers. That was something you had needed to get to and now you had nothing else.  
You wiped your sweaty hands on your pajamas and looked at the clock. It was only ten; no wonder you were wide awake.   
You heard a knock at the door and you called out for the person to enter. Nina poked her head in, giving you a cautious look.  
“Sean’s at the door for you. Should I tell him you’re asleep?”  
You ran a hand through your hair, something you’d done a lot of since you received the kiss earlier that evening.  
“Ah, no. No. I’m coming.”  
You slipped your feet into a pair of plain black slippers and threw your father’s flannel shirt back on over your tank top. You stepped out into the hall, catching sight of a nervous looking Sean standing on your left. You stepped over to him and copied his stance, leaning against the wall next to him and nudging his shoulder.  
“I’m sorry,” he muttered.  
You sighed.  
“Don’t be. I’ve been thinking about it all night.”  
“I didn’t mean to.”  
You ran a hand through your silky tresses.  
“What does that mean?”  
A solid few moments of silence.  
“It means I like you (Y/N). I want to call you Долли, but because you’re my world, not just because it’s a nickname. I want to like you but I’m afraid you won’t like me back.”  
You unfolded your arms, letting them bump the wall.  
“I like you too. But give me time to catch up Sean. I don’t want to be left in the dust. Just give me some time, okay? I’ve always been a late bloomer,” you spoke the last part as a breathy chuckle.  
Sean did the same, turning to you, his right shoulder resting on the wall. He blinked slowly once, twice, and then leaned in, pressing his lips to your cheek. You could feel the stubble growing there and it reminded you that this man was very real and he was very interested in you.   
Remembering your limited dating life had somehow made you more daring. As he leaned away, you pressed your lips to the corner of his mouth, almost reaching where you wanted to plant them. Sean looked at you, a mixture of surprise and confusion on his face.  
Then he gently placed his palm on your cheek and brought you to his lips. The kiss was short and more of a peck on the lips than anything else but it warmed your heart and your cheeks.  
You cast a glance up at Sean, his crystal eyes shining bright.  
“How long have you been waiting to do that?”  
A loud giggle emerged from the brunet man’s mouth and you followed suit, pressing your forehead to his chest gently. You snuck your hand down his arm to his own free hand. You intertwined his fingers with yours, swinging them gently.  
“Since the day I passed out in your lap.”  
You hummed, pressing your face more into Sean’s shirt.  
“Hey. Some of my school friends called me today. They wanted to invite me out for drinks and I want to know if you want to come with.”  
You thought for a minute.  
“Sure. It’s not like I have much to do after work. Nina and Papa are going to pick up my Nana from Miatsk tomorrow so she can come live with us so I might have to clean up her room but it won’t take long.”  
“Great, I should let you sleep though. Good night, Долли.”  
“I think you deserve to call me something different. Долли is something only my family and friends use.”  
Sean leaned his head back slowly, showing that he was thinking. His head snapped back to you and a huge smile grew on his face.  
“Alright. How about ангел.” (Angel)  
Your face betrayed your indifferent mask, lighting up like it’d never done so before. You squeezed Sean tightly and he let out a breathy laugh.  
“Now, now ангел. Let’s not squeeze the life out of before you meet my friends.”  
You giggled and looked up at Sean, your eyes sparkling.  
“Ok, красивый.” (Handsome)  
You detached yourself from Sean and walked to your door.  
“Good night.”  
“Good night.”

The next morning you woke up late. You quickly threw on a worn red sweater and black slim jeans again, slipping your faux fur boots on ahead of time.   
You briskly walked out into the kitchen and filled a thermos with tea. You sat down, shoveled down eggs and toast and kissed your mother on the cheek. Your father and Nina had to leave early so they could bring Nana back as soon as possible.  
“Mama, Sean invited me to visit some friends of his tonight so I might not be home for dinner.”  
“That’s fine, Долли. Have fun and be safe today.”  
You hugged your mother extra tight, told her you loved her and slipped your coat on. You’d heard it was going to be colder than the last few days and you were not excited but Sean would keep you warm. Your face heated at the thought of Sean, right across the hall from you.  
Speaking of which, he emerged from his apartment at the same time you did.  
“Sleep late?”  
“Yeah. You?”  
“Yeah. Let’s go.”  
There was no flower today but there was a sweet kiss. Sean’s lips still tasted like whatever he had for breakfast which probably had some cinnamon in it.  
You nearly floated into your booth and started to work.  
‘Inspector, stricter credential requirements have been instituted.   
Arstotzkan citizens must show their ID CARD. Foreigners must secure and present a valid ENTRY PERMIT. Entry tickets are no longer sufficient.   
A new chapter detailing document features has been added to your rulebook. Check all information thoroughly. Deny any applicant with discrepant documents.   
Refer to the AUDIO TRANSCRIPT to correlate entrant’s statements.   
Glory to Arstotzka.’   
You hummed. It would be a long day. You made your way quickly through many people and you about to uncap your tea when a man in a red sweater hopped up into your booth. Sean had warned you about him, he did look a bit like a potato.  
“Papers pl-“  
“Yes, yes! Wonderful day for Arstotzka. Beautiful day!”  
You narrowed your eyes at the man and repeated your question.  
“Oh! Yes, right. Here is passport.”  
You could tell it was a fake simply by the misshapen cut of it. You flipped it open and you wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Jorji Costava had taped a picture of a male model body onto the paper passport and his head was stuck unevenly on top of that.  
“I’m sorry sir,” you said, suppressing a giggle bubbling up in your throat. “This is obviously a fake passport. I can’t let you through.”  
You stamped the passport and handed it back to him. The man simply pocketed the fake and gave you a warm smile.  
“I understand, have to do job well. Thank you for the wonderful smile. Made my day.”  
And with a small wave, he went off.  
The rest of your evening went smoothly and you met Sean at the sidewalk. Quickly wrapping your arm around his, you made your way home. Thinking of potato man as Sean so lovingly called him, you giggled.  
“What is it, ангел?”  
“Oh nothing. I just met potato man today. He was nice.”  
That set Sean off, listening to him gripe about how if someone was going to forge passports that they should at least look real. Your mood, if possible, lightened even more and you giggled. This made Sean stop ranting and then he even cracked a smile.  
You soon got home and left each other in the hallway with a peck on the lips. When you kicked off your boots inside, another note greeted you on the door.  
“Went out for groceries. Papa, Nina and Nana will be home around one. I hope you won’t be too tired in the morning.”  
You hissed. That wouldn’t leave you a lot of time to decorate and clean the room for Nana. You might even totally miss them because of your going out with Sean tonight. You pulled your hair into a pony tail and rolled up your sleeves. You had a lot of work to do.  
You started cleaning Nana’s room, which had a surprising amount of dust in it. You made the bed and threw a blanket she had crocheted over the top. Then you went to work on cooking.  
You gathered the ingredients to make some of Nana’s favorite foods, remembering to take out some pastries from the bread box for the last item.  
Starting with borsch, a beet and cabbage red soup, you started cutting the vegetables for other dishes you planned on making. Smoked salmon and salted herring even made their own special appearances onto the pots and pans you were cooking with.  
You finished off with some dumplings and mini pies. You placed the pies in the oven and rolled the ingredients into the dumpling dough, then started boiling them. A knock at the door made you jump and you quickly wiped off your hands to answer it. As you made your way, you idly thought about making a poster.  
“ангел, what smells so good?”  
You squealed quietly in delight.   
“I’m so glad you asked, Мед. (Honey) My Nana will be coming tonight! I don’t know if I’ll be able to greet her when I get home so I’m making a little welcoming party for her and Nina and Papa when they get back.”  
Sean’s happy smile slowly went down until it was a small curve of his mouth, which made your own lips pucker in confusion.  
“You should wait for your Nana. We can reschedule.”  
Your eyes widened as you heard sizzling coming from the kitchen.  
“The dumplings! Follow me, we’ll walk and talk.”  
You jogged back into the kitchen, letting out a little yelp when you saw the water boiling over.   
“I wouldn’t want your friends to think they’re not important. I want to meet them, really I do. Nana is living with me anyways. So I’ll be able to see her all the time.”  
Sean hummed, wrapping his arms around your waist as you fiddled with the temperature and you leaned forward to stir. Sean started to sway with the music you had put on and you giggled lightly, your cheeks warming up. Sean whined before continuing.  
“I want to reschedule now. Your cooking smells so good.”  
Sean buried his nose in your hair and you set down the wooden spoon you were holding, placing your hands where his were.  
“They won’t be back until one. We can go out, have fun, come back and greet them. But you have to go home right after because I want you to be ready for work in the morning.”  
“Yes, ангел.”  
You laughed, disconnecting yourself from Sean before taking everything that was done off the stove and out of the oven, setting them in the best places for presentation and placed thick cloths over each of the dishes to hopefully keep them warm.  
“We should probably get changed right? Meet back here soon, Мед?”  
Sean nodded before slipping his shoes back on and going across the hall.  
You quickly scurried off to your bedroom, slightly panicking on what to wear. You were meeting his friends so you had to dress nice because first impressions were everything. But you were also going out for just drinks so you’d probably be going to a bar.  
An idea sprung into your head and you skidded from your room to Nina’s. She wouldn’t mind if you borrowed something, especially if she was too tired to notice or even care.  
As you suspected, your sister had much better taste in evening clothes than you. You picked out a tight wool dress with small flower detailing on your left shoulder and near your right thigh. After slipping it on, you wore black leggings and some ankle boots you knew would be warm but also practical with a little heel on the end.   
You couldn’t do much with your hair so you decided to pull it back in a low ponytail at the nape of your neck. (Or pinned it back for short hair) You switched out your usual messenger bag for a smaller over the shoulder bag that held your wallet, keys and some tissues. As a last minute thought, you swiped on some dark red lipstick.  
Walking out, you were surprised to see Sean sitting on your couch with his elbows on his knees but when he head you, he stood. His jaw dropped to the floor upon seeing you. You had to admit, he’d probably never seen you with such tight clothing on and you had to admit to yourself, the dress did feel a little tight in the chest area. Oh well, she was your little sister after all.  
“You…. Really look like an angel, ангел.”  
You smiled as you pulled on your coat, flattered when Sean helped you slip the rest on.  
“Well, I’d hope so. Shall we go? I’d hate to keep your friends waiting


	8. Chapter 8: New Arrivals and Proper Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! ITS BEEN LIKE THREE MONTHS SINCE I'VE TOUCHED THIS STORY, PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!!!!!!! All joking aside, I really wish I could say I was working on a bomb-ass chapter on my unplanned hiatus but I wasn't. I found myself all alone today so I moved my laptop into the kitchen and busted ass on this chapter. I hope you like it, as it gets kind of dull in the middle but I tried my hardest.  
> I NOW HAVE A TUMBLR FOR THIS STORY!! If you want to follow it, here is the link (https://paperspleaselovestory.tumblr.com/). Such an original title, I know but I couldn't think of anything else. I wrote an introduction post explaining all about it. If you want to scream at me to release the next chapter, this is definitely the place to do it! That being said, I really hope you like this chapter and I'll try not to take so long next time ;)

You stepped into the warm air of the bar, sighing as the faint smell of alcohol and cheap cigarettes wafted through the air.  
“I’m sorry, ангел. I should have thought they’d choose some place like this.”  
“What do you mean красивый? (Handsome) The plan was to go out for drinks right? This is a place that people normally-“   
“Hey! Крошечный! (Tiny) Over here,” an unfamiliar voice called out.  
“Ah shi-oot! Well, come on, ангел. (Angel) Let’s go meet them.”   
You smirked at Sean’s blubbering to try not to swear in front of you.  
You were lead to a table near the back where two men were sitting at a table. One was very pale and had blond hair and blue eyes. He seemed to be very tall and when he stood from his seated position at the table, he towered over you quite a bit.  
The man who originally called out to Sean was almost the blond man’s polar opposite. He had dark hair and brown eyes and his skin had a natural darker tint to it. He also stood and he seemed to fit right in the middle of the blond and Sean.  
“Well my friends, this is my girl, (Y/N). (Y/N), these полудурков (nerds) are my friends. This one here,” he said, pointing to the black haired male. “Is my good friend Mark Fichbach. We met in primary school and stayed friends from secondary until we went to different universities.”  
You held out your hand and were surprised when Mark went straight in for a hug. You were pressed gently into his firm chest and then immediately brought back out.  
“It’s nice to meet you. Sorry for the hugging, my family just greets people like that normally. Sean over here can testify.”  
Sean nodded and continued with introductions.  
“This is Felix Kjellberg. We were roommates at university and stayed in contact even after we went our separate ways.”  
Felix gave your hand a firm shake and you also received a brief hug. Sean pulled out your chair for you and sat next to you, depositing his arm on the back of your chair. A woman came over to you and asked your drink orders.  
Felix ordered a Lager beer; Sean ordered a medium glass of Jameson and Mark ordered sparkling water. All three men looked at you with evident shock when you ordered Everclear with cherries and lemonade. You blushed when you saw all of them looking at you.  
“Oh, that’s right. You came from a little village on the skirts of Arstotzka didn’t you?”  
You nodded in conformation before explaining yourself.  
“Where I lived, there were no hospitals within ten miles so minor injuries were cleansed with alcohol. Whenever my guy friends has injuries that required stitches and they came to my mother, she would enlist me to them but not before giving me a sip of hard liquor to steady my hands. The village boys had a lot of fights and none of them were clean. Also, weddings and celebrations were also times of sharing so kids over the age of fifteen had a little glass but everyone snuck some more of course.”  
You trailed off with a laugh, a fond smile on your face.  
“What are you lookin’ so surprised for Крошечный?”  
You cast your eyes to Sean and indeed, he was just staring at you.  
“I didn’t think it was possible to be more attracted to you.”  
You giggled, pushing Sean slightly. When your drinks came, you all began talking jovially about anything and everything. You demanded to know all about Sean’s embarrassing stories.

 

“Wait, wait. So people actually hang others from flag poles by their underwear?”  
You were currently laughing your ass off at Mark’s current story about Sean being said victim of flag pole humiliation.  
“Of course they do! That’s how we met and became friends. I stopped his ass from being handed to him again!”  
You covered your mouth to hide a snort.  
“Oh look at the time! I think we should be going!”  
You checked the clock on the wall and indeed, you had to be leaving.  
“Aw, why so soon?”  
“My nana is coming in from my home town to live with us. I’ve always been able to walk down the street and see her whenever something was on my mind so this’ll be perfect. Though I am sort of surprised she moved. She’s lived in Miatsk her whole life.”  
On that note, Sean helped you with your coat and you left after giving one last hug to both men.  
“So, how did your parents end up meeting?”  
“Oh. That’s actually all thanks to Nana and her friends. You see, since almost nobody leaves our town, most of us are related to each other in one way. Even so, that’s beside the point. So my Nana and my Papa’s father were great friends and they had developed feelings for each other but they already had been in arranged engagements. Nana had only had her baby for a year when Mama was born and because Nana was available for work, she took the job sitting over Mama. So Mama and Papa basically grew up together. Around the time they were both to be married themselves; they kind of went on a strike and demanded to be married to each other which was the plan all along.”  
“Wow,” Sean breathed out.  
“Yeah, I know. Cool isn’t it?”  
You unlocked the door and held it open for Sean so he could deposit his shoes and jacket. Immediately upon arriving, you rushed to the food to make sure everything was still warm and were satisfied when it proved to be true.  
Sean once again wrapped you in a hug such as the one you were in before you left your apartment.  
“Ah, I’m going to change. Nana prefers me in a bit more modest clothing. She would probably faint if she saw me wearing something so tight.”  
You scurried off to your room, closing and locking the door before stripping off your clothes. Truthfully, Nana didn’t care what you wore but she could smell alcohol on anybody a mile away. You hissed through your teeth at the smell that was probably coming off of Sean too.  
You stood in the middle of your room in your underwear and bra, humming in front of your dresser. You decided to go for a deep red turtleneck and a pleated black skirt that went to your knees. You pulled on some white and red polka dot tights under the skirt and walked back out into the living room, untying your hair and fluffing it out along the way.  
You looked around for Sean and startled when he came back into the apartment in a similar outfit to yours, his shirt the same and his legs covered with tight jeans rather than a skirt. A pink flooded over his cheeks the longer he looked at you.  
“Quit it, will you?”  
Sean shook his head and moved away from the door. You settled down on the couch, Sean pulling you to sit right next to him so your head rested on his chest. You turned on the tv to an old movie and sighed in contentment. The alcohol you consumed earlier made you feel comfortably warm but you were far from drunk or even tipsy.  
Loud voices sounded from the hall and you jumped up with a gasp. The voices neared quickly and you made your way in front of the table, right in view of the front door. Sean moved to your right side and rested a hand on your shoulder which you took comfort in, his body visibly curving in to yours.  
The locks clicked and you shifted in earnest, waiting to grasp the long awaited sight of your grandmother.  
When the door opened, of course the first thing you see is your grandmother. You adopted a childish shine to your face.  
“Nana!”  
Your grandmother gasped as well and you met each other in the middle of the floor, your skirt swishing around your legs and your hair moving into your face. Your grandmother pushed your bangs out of your face and cupped your cheeks, placing kisses on each of them multiple times.  
“Oh Nana. I missed you terribly.”  
“I missed you as well my precious Долли.”  
After another hug, your grandmother spotted the table of food and Sean at the same time.  
“Ah! So this is the infamous Sean I’ve heard about.”  
You cast a glare to Nina who shrugged in what was supposed to be innocence. Papa was moving Nana’s bags into her new room and came back with your mother trailing behind him.  
You started to guard Sean before your grandmother could do anything but it was too late. She had grabbed his cheeks and was pinching them.  
“Ah, Nana! I made all your favorite foods! Come, let him go and have some. You must be starving.”  
Immediately your grandmother dropped her hands and turned to you, her eyes sparkling.  
“Pastries?”  
You could describe your grandmother as plump, but not fat. She had a very biased feeling about baked goods and partook in one or two bites of everything she made from the bakery. This gave her the warm, stereotypical grandmother look that you absolutely loved. She was a sign of true comfort and home. You had missed her very much.  
“I made dumplings and pies but we also have some sugared breads and donuts in the pastry box. I’ll grab them. Sean, come help me. Nina, help get Nana settled. I’ll make some tea too.”  
You tugged Sean’s arm and brought him into the kitchen. You pulled out the tea box and the kettle and set it on the stove, then wheeled around to listen at the doorway.  
“Uh (Y/N)?”  
“Shh.”  
You could hear their voices floating in from the dining room and you pressed almost impossibly closer to the wall. Sean moved away from you and actually went to go and make tea.  
“You let her have a boyfriend already?”  
“Mama, I assure you, we didn’t know they had gotten close either,” your father spoke in your stead.  
“Did you see how close he was standing to her? I do believe that he will be a wonderful caretaker to your daughter and my granddaughter but we’re not in Miatsk anymore, as much as I hate to say it. She doesn’t have to rush into marriage.”  
You bit the inside of your cheek, holding back a yelp of protest. You would never think about marriage this early on in a relationship. Sean did call you ‘his’ girl but that only meant you were off limits at the moment. You were still making a decision of whether you actually wanted to rush into a relationship.  
You could understand your grandmothers concern though. You had only moved here a few days ago, not even a week and you almost already had a significant other. You’d only had two other partners in your life. A boy from your fourth year of primary school (third grade) who “broke up” with you three days later and a girl you were with in secret all through secondary school (high school). Neither of these relationships were very serious obviously but you were grown up now. You could handle yourself, you knew what you wanted. (Me casually making the reader bi haha. Shout out to all my fellow bisexuals and any other –sexuals.)  
“ангел? I made some tea, let’s go back out.”  
You sighed and moved over to the bread box to bring out some promised pastries and walked out into the dining room with Sean. Your family now complete, with Sean by your side, ate a wonderful meal together. It was around two in the morning when you finally finished. Your mother went to bed as soon as she could, giving everyone a kiss on the cheek before retiring to the bedroom. Nina followed shortly after, she was extremely exhausted. Your father led Nana to her bed before bidding you and Sean a good night.  
“Let me walk you home, красивый.”  
“ангел, we live across the hall from each other.”  
“That was the joke!”  
Sean laughed at you, which made you smile. After hearing Nana’s objection to whatever relationship you may had, you were slightly tense the whole meal. Sean had the sense not to touch you while you were eating so you avoided the awkward for that, but not for much else.  
Moving across the hall, you stood in front of Sean’s door with your hands in his. You were facing each other, much like you would in a wedding ceremony. You shook the thought right out of your head as soon as it came in.  
“(Y/N)?”  
You looked up at Sean through your lashes and saw his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. You had the urge to smooth it out with your hands but resisted. That would be really creepy if you just decided to touch his neck.  
“Can-can I kiss you? Properly?”  
It was your turn to swallow. You couldn’t trust your tongue, fearing it would betray you with some form of stuttering that would make it seem like you did not want Sean to kiss you, when in fact you did, very much. You nodded your head slowly.  
Sean seemed hesitant to touch you anywhere but your hands and arms, but he proceeded to cup your cheek and rub your cheekbone with his smooth thumb. Your eyes fluttered closed and Sean caressed your head to the left so he could lean the other way, laying his lips over yours.   
Sean’s other hand traveled its way down until it pushed into your lower back, pressing you into Sean’s chest. Your arms moved towards Sean, one on his chest and gripping his shirt gently, the other snaking across his shoulders and bringing him down to you. His tongue moved in and swiped across your lower lip gently and your mouth unconsciously opened further, giving him permission to kiss you deeper.  
Your tongues tangled themselves together for a long while, though it only seemed a few seconds to you. Your lungs were practically screaming at you to release them and you did so, very reluctantly. You separated from Sean’s mouth, but his lips followed after yours. Your eyes opened quickly and you brought up a hand to stop Sean.   
“Sean, I need to breathe,” you spoke, absolutely breathless indeed.  
In response, the brunet pulled you close so you were practically hovering off the ground. Both of your arms went around Sean’s shoulder blades now and your hands went into the hair at the back of his head. You caught your breath but your heart rate didn’t slow down at all. Sean was still peppering little kisses all over your face. On your nose, cheeks and even small pecks on your now plump lips.  
“My family will be gone all day tomorrow. Would you like to have dinner over here, just the two of us?”  
Sean’s question made your insides go warm and gushy. His voice was very sexy and you were so very tempted to say yes.   
Oh, what the hell.  
“Yes, I will have dinner with you tomorrow.”  
Sean smiled. “I’m glad you said yes, ангел.”


	9. Chapter 9: New Dates and Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want anybody to comment down below and tell me if I should change the rating from Teen to Mature. It hasn't truly reached the point yet, but just so I don't make people uncomfortable because the rating WILL eventually change so ;)  
> I NOW HAVE A TUMBLR FOR THIS STORY!! If you want to follow it, here is the link (https://paperspleaselovestory.tumblr.com/). Such an original title, I know but I couldn't think of anything else. I wrote an introduction post explaining all about it. If you want to scream at me to release the next chapter, this is definitely the place to do it! That being said, I really hope you like this chapter!

You woke slowly the next morning, yet you felt full of energy once you had finally rolled out of bed and decided on taking a bath. You had some time to do so and you washed your face before climbing in. Your mind was racing with thoughts as you lathered your hair with shampoo and dipped yourself under water to rinse it out.  
You had a date with Sean tonight, a real date with dinner for two and no family there to interrupt. Your toes curled up at the thought of being alone with Sean for several hours. Last night’s kiss was very … intense. Your imagination kicked into high gear at that and your belly grew impossibly warm. You’d never felt like this before.   
A quiet knock at the door brought you out of your mind and Nina closed the door behind her, clasping her cinched robe tightly.  
“Mind if I ask you something?”  
You scooted back and Nina removed her robe and climbed in on the opposite side of the bath. Neither of you were extremely dirty, this was simply a soak.  
“What’s up Nin?”  
“Well sis, you know how I have my new job at that art gallery?”  
You nodded, putting your wet hair up in a knot to keep it away from your face.  
“Well, the man who first gave me his business card asked me if I would like to have dinner tomorrow evening. It’s a Friday night so I won’t have work in the morning. He said we’d go somewhere nice and because I was bringing in so many new customers with my art, he would treat me. Doesn’t that sound nice?”  
The last few words of Nina’s speech began to slur together in excitement and you looked up from where your fingers were playing with the water. Nina had her knees pulled up to her chest and her eyes were sparkling as she traced a scar on her right knee. She had tripped coming up the steps of your childhood home and fractured her knee cap. You had gotten to go to the hospital for the first time and Nina had to wear a splint for almost three months and stayed out of school.  
You looked at your younger sister, only three years your junior but she was still a baby. She was only 19 and she seemed very excited about this. You had to realize that this was probably going to be her first date in the real world. You thought that tonight would be your own first date unless you counted secondary school (high school) which you didn’t because you never actually went anywhere out in public.  
You cleared your throat. “How old is he?”  
A full body blush came over Nina and she sunk down until her nose was grazing the water and every time she breathed out, ripples would form on the water.  
“Nin?”  
“He’s 32.”  
If you had been eating or drinking anything, you were sure you would have choked on it.  
“Nina!”  
“Shush! I still have a question to ask you.”  
Your sisters’ eyes were pleading and you relented, sinking back onto the side of the tub. You quickly did the math in your head while Nina gathered up her courage. 13 years older. Your parents were only a year apart from each other and they were still very young. 32. Your mother was 39; she could have dated him if she was-  
Alarm bells went off in your head. DO NOT THINK ABOUT HOW STRANGE THIS IS FOR YOU! FOCUS ON YOUR SISTERS HAPPINESS!!!!!!!  
“Sis?”  
“Yes?”  
Nina fidgeted. “Do you think he likes me?”  
You were stunned. Your sister was beautiful, striking even. She was bold and daring and always ready to defend anything and anyone who needed it. She was not this shy thing sitting before you, a petal pink hue rising further on her cheeks and nose, embarrassed at boy talk even now.  
“Did he say it was a group or work dinner? Was he looking you in the eyes as he asked you? How long have you been acquainted?”  
Nina thought for a moment. “He never said there would be other people with us. His eyes were kind of shifting around my face, like he couldn’t look me in the eyes. We’ve only been working together for a few days, Sis.”  
You cocked your head to the side, organizing your thoughts before deciding to let them roll off your tongue.  
“I think, he has a work crush and he would like to get to know you better. That’s the purpose of a date, isn’t it?”  
Nina nodded and laid her head back on the lip of the tub. You took a moment to admire her features. She had long eyelashes that naturally curled at the ends and brushed her cheeks whenever her eyes closed. Her facial structure was well rounded in her cheekbones and her nose came to a soft point that was neither big nor small.  
“You deserve to be happy Nin. I know I’m probably not the best role model to tell you this, but you don’t have to rush into anything. See if this guy is worth your time.”  
Your sister looked up at you, her eyes less clouded with troubled feelings than when she had first come in.   
“Okay. I will.”  
You smiled and started to get up when Nina spoke again.  
“Do you think you could come with me?”  
You stopped short of grabbing your towel and looked back at Nina. She was once again looking at the water in the tub.  
“I mean, you and Sean could go on a date and you could just watch over me. I honestly need a second opinion on him. I feel he either thinks of me in a really romantic way or a really platonic way and I want someone to tell me which.”  
You puffed out a breath of air.   
“Sean and I have a date tonight so I don’t know if he’d want to spend two nights in a row with me, but I’ll ask him.”  
Nina snapped her head up to look at you and her grin spread so wide across her face, you thought it might break. You laughed and walked out of the bathroom and into your own room. You decided on a simple outfit today. Grey skinny jeans with a white long sleeved shirt and a grey sweater Nana had knit you a few years ago. It had a snowflake design and was warm but comfortable.  
Your socked feet slid on the wood floors a bit before coming into the dining room, your hair dried and soft. You plopped down at the table and thanked Nana as she pushed a bowl and several boxes of cereal at you, along with a plate of various pastries.  
You poured some cereal in your bowl as Papa growled at the paper. Both Nana and Mama scolded him for reading during breakfast and you only laughed.  
“What’s it say Papa?” Nina was always the curious one.  
“My favorite Republian track star, Vince Lestrade, is getting into trouble. He murdered his girlfriend because she supposedly caught cheating on him. He was doing so well for the finals too!”  
You had to smother your laugh as the rest of your family besides your father looked on, horrified at what he was saying.  
“Oh Papa, never change,” you kissed your father on top of the head and took the newspaper from him, seeing as he was done reading it himself.  
You slipped on your boots and your coat and slipped out into the hall. Sean had not yet come out yet so you leaned against the wall and took the paper out again.  
‘Vince Lestrade’s Whereabouts Unknown- Has Likely Fled Republia’  
Your reading was interrupted by the door whipping open and Sean stumbling out. You lowered the paper and stared on in shock. Sean caught his breath and fixed his hair before he saw you, a bashful blush forming on his cheeks.  
“Were you waiting long?”  
“Only about thirty seconds. Let’s go красивый.” (Handsome)  
The walk to the checkpoint was mostly uneventful, except Sean had a few things to say about Vince Lestrade himself.  
“I mean, he had everything going for him and he just had to kill his girlfriend! What kind of idiot does that? I’d never kill you, even if you cheated on me, God please let that not happen.”  
You couldn’t help yourself; you burst into giggles and almost kneeled down in the street.  
“What’s so funny, ангел?” (Angel)  
“Nothing Sean, it’s just that Papa was the exact same this morning. You men and your sports.”  
You parted ways, once again with a sweet kiss; this one filled with something deeper left over from the kiss last night, but also had some predictions of the night ahead. Once you were in your booth, you smacked your forehead gently. You forgot to ask Sean if he wanted to go on a date tomorrow as well. Putting the thought on the back burner, you turned to your new packet.  
‘Inspector, you are now authorized to detain suspicious individuals.  
Interrogate discrepancies to enable detention option.  
Glory to Arstotzka.’  
You hummed, figuring it had something to do with Lestrade, the track murderer. The way you worded his identity in your mind made you smile and you began your day just like that, taking note of the smooth, grey button with black letters stamped into it. It was above and to the left of your stamps, well within your reach but you didn’t feel you would need it today.  
About half way through the morning, alarm bells went off as you were checking a nice woman from Antegria who was telling you all about her husband who was behind her. You fumbled with the woman’s passport and it dropped on the floor with a clap. You looked out your side window and saw the guards rushing a struggling man into the prison in front of you. The woman in your booth clicked her tongue and turned to you.  
“I’m very glad I’m not from Republia. If I had a famous athlete get in trouble with the law where I’m from, people would scour the streets themselves looking for him. I really hope moving here will keep things more peaceful. I’m getting on in years, too much excitement for me to handle. Dear, are you alright?”  
You broke your focus of the place where Vince Lestrade had just disappeared from.  
“Oh, yes, so sorry miss.”  
You dropped to the ground and swiped the passport back up onto the desk.  
“No rush, dear. But you looked like you’d seen a ghost.”  
You focused on the woman’s papers before approving them and handing them back to her.  
“I grew up in a small town, I’m not used to this much excitement either.”  
The woman chuckled before patting your hand.  
“Don’t worry dear, you’re still young.”  
You smiled at the woman before she waved and left your booth, letting her husband take her place.

 

You felt that the end of the day couldn’t come soon enough. You wanted to go home and bathe before going over to Sean’s for dinner. As was usual now, Sean came to pick you up at your booth and you walked home together.   
The two of you separated in the middle of the hall, your fingers the last things to touch before you unlocked your door and stepped inside. You leaned against the closed door and let out a sigh, your eyes fluttering closed.  
“Someone’s happy, my precious Долли, what happened today?”  
“Nana, I have a date with Sean tonight, a real proper date with just the two of us,” you breathed out as you pulled off your shoes and coat.  
“Where are you going? What are you wearing?”  
“It’ll just be across the hall. I haven’t decided on what to wear yet but I’m going to look right after I shower.”  
You did just that and now you were standing in front of your closet in your towel, tapping your foot and scowling at your lack of really nice clothes.  
“Sis, what are you doing?”  
You jumped and faced the door, Nina leaning against the frame and smiling.  
“I’m trying to find an outfit that Sean will like for my date tonight. I’ll also need makeup,” you replied, grabbing some underwear and a bra to match.  
Nina waved you to her and you followed her all the way to her room where she closed and locked her door and opened her closet, pulling your undergarments away from your hands and tossing them in the direction of her desk bed.  
“Nin, what are you doing?”  
“Helping you get ready for your date tonight.”  
You sighed and sat on your sisters’ desk chair next to your plain black undergarments that were on the wooden surface. You didn’t see what the point of taking them away from you would be. You’d have to wear them anyway.  
A maroon skirt was thrown at you, along with white and gold top, black tights and maroon high heels were tossed at your feet. You looked up at your sister and she just motioned you to get ready behind her closer door.  
“I can’t get ready without underwear, Nin.”  
“Oh right! How could I forget the best part?”  
Nina ran back over to her closet and took down a box that was covered in dust and brought it back over to you. She set it down at your feet and you opened it. It was-  
“Oh hell no! Nina, I can’t wear this! What do you think we’ll be-“  
Nina just gave you a sly look.  
“No, no, no! This is our first date. I won’t let you make me uncomfortable.”  
“Well, if you’re not going to let him see it, at least wear it for yourself. I swear it will make you about ten times more confident.”  
You looked skeptically at your sister.  
“Have you worn it before?”  
“No, I tried to but they gave me a size too big, which just happens to be yours!”  
You groaned, letting your head hang between your knees before coming back up.  
“Fine. But only because I don’t want to mess this date up.”  
Nina clapped her hands as you went behind the doors to change.  
You pulled on the underwear, nearly cringing at how wrong it felt. You knew your parents were home, how could you innocently walk by them wearing what they thought was a simple date night outfit when you hid an atomic bomb underneath.  
The underwear itself was very soft and comfortable, though you didn’t know what to think of, what your sister called an overlay. The part that was to cover your hips was merely string on either side. The bra came with removable straps and you decidedly clipped them on. The cups seemed fine until you actually put the thing on and you figured out they were unlined.  
You were so going to kill Nina.  
(Tell me if I should change the rating on this at any time, ahaha.)


	10. Chapter 10: Serious Thoughts and Holding Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader goes over to Sean's apartment for dinner and they end up in the bedroom ;)   
> NO! You nasty minds! Not yet at least. But the reader takes this time to reflect in a compromising situation and evaluate where they want their relationship to go with Sean before they just decide to throw everything to the wind. (That was such a bad description haha.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight adult sexy things in this chapter but don't worry! Nothing happens quite yet. Just enough to make you guys hate me ;)  
> I NOW HAVE A TUMBLR FOR THIS STORY!! If you want to follow it, here is the link (https://paperspleaselovestory.tumblr.com/). Such an original title, I know but I couldn't think of anything else. I wrote an introduction post explaining all about it. If you want to scream at me to release the next chapter, this is definitely the place to do it! That being said, I really hope you like this chapter!

You had finished getting ready and Nina was currently doing your makeup. She was just doing simple foundation, powder, liner and lashes when she remembered she had purchased a makeup kit all the way from United Federation and she wanted to test it out on you.  
She had dusted your eyelids with a light gold shimmer that matched well with your blouse and at the same time, accentuated the gentle bouncing of light off of your hair and your eyes.  
“Nin, you completely transformed me!”  
“No Sis, I just accentuated your beautiful places. Which is everywhere, so I kind of did nothing to you.”  
You blushed a little bit and adjusted your skirt as you stood up. The skirt was stretchy but tight and came down to a couple inches above your knee. It wasn’t what you would have picked for yourself but sometimes sisters knew you better than you knew yourself.  
Gently pulling on your sisters heels, you sent a small prayer out to whoever might hear it that things go well on this date.  
“I’ll remember to bring up your secret double date plans after dinner. What time are you planning on going?”  
“I think he said he’d pick me up at seven so, you probably shouldn’t be seen when he comes over.”  
You laughed and stumbled as you weren’t used to walking and laughing in heels. You moved out into the living room and heard gasps from all over. Mama was at the kitchen table, looking over some work papers with her pen in hand and glasses on. Papa was in the kitchen, most likely kneading some dough and your Nana was on the couch, sewing what looked like furs together.  
“Долли, do you have a date? Where are you going?”  
“Well,” you blushed. “Sean invited me over for dinner, just the two of us.”  
Your mother and father beamed, your grandmother on the other hand, was not so happy.  
“Долли, I love you but I think you need to dress in something a little more… modest.”  
Oh ho, ho, ho, she had NO idea! You were just thankful that it wasn’t cold in the room.  
“Nana, Sean is a good boy. He really likes her and wants her to like him too. He picks her up every morning and they walk to work together. You can trust him.”  
You could trust somebody too, and that person was your sister. She always had your back.  
“Yes, Nana. We’re having dinner, not discussing marriage plans. Please have a little faith in me. I’m going across the hall; I’ll try and be back before you all go to bed.”  
You closed the door and breathed out a heavy sigh, then shook it off. You were going to have a nice dinner with Sean. You were not going to be upset over small things.  
Your heels clicked across the hallway and you knocked gently on the door. Footsteps rushed to the door and it swung open quickly, gushing air from behind you into the apartment.  
“Wow,” two voices spoke at the same time.  
You looked Sean up and down and found that he looked a hundred times more attractive right now in this tender moment than he usually did. Your small glimpse in the apartment told you that he had turned off the lights and had lit over a dozen candles and that light threw him in a softer glow than the harsh hallway light.  
He was wearing tight, black dress pants and a cream colored sweater with a thicker grey sweater over it. He was wearing no shoes, but he had black socks on. It looked like he had trimmed his growing beard and had used some sort of gel in his light brown hair.  
Sean pulled your hand up from where it was dangling by your side and pulled you into the apartment. You stumbled a bit, letting him hold you to his chest a bit before straightening up.  
“Uhm, you can take off your shoes if you want. You don’t have to keep them on the whole time.”  
You placed your hands on Sean’s’ shoulders and slipped out of your borrowed heels, making sure you didn’t scratch the velvet like fabric covering them.  
“Thank you, I probably would have died if you didn’t say that.”  
Sean laughed and pulled you further into his apartment. This was good, you got over the awkward much faster than you thought you were going to. Sean sat you down and pushed in your chair for you before going into the kitchen to bring out food.  
You smelled the fragrance of delicious food before you could see it, something that was familiar to you.  
“Papa gave you his roast beef recipe?”  
Sean uncovered the platter and indeed, was your fathers’ famous roast prepared in all its glory. On the top of it as garnishes were honeyed vegetables and a plate of bread was set beside the main course. The other side dish was a bowl of boiled potatoes with a heavy amount of butter steaming off of them.  
“This is amazing Sean. You managed to replicate it so perfectly!”  
Sean sat down, a light pink dusting his cheeks.  
“Well, your father did come in before he went home, to check on how I was doing. He suggested the candles actually.”  
For an Arstotzkan country man, your father was a hopeless romantic. You figured it had something to do with being a baker’s son but never dwelled on it too much because you loved your father anyway.

You let out a giggle as Sean leaned back in his chair and rubbed his belly, commenting on how he would need a crane to get him out of his chair.  
“Do you.. Want to watch a movie?”  
You nodded quickly and pulled Sean up from his previous sitting position. You made your way to the couch when Sean directed you into the hallway to the right of it. You were led into the first door on the right and sat down carefully on the bed.  
“Sorry for being so pushy but I figure we couldn’t risk ruining this if my family happens to come home early.”  
Your curiosity was itching at you but you decided not to scratch. Sean was right, tonight wasn’t about his family. It was about the two of you. No sense in asking where they were even if you desperately wanted to know.  
“I have these, which one do you want to watch. I’m sorry I don’t have much of a collection.”  
“Oh no, it’s fine. Let’s watch this one.”  
You picked what looked like some sort of comedic horror; you couldn’t tell if it was a cartoon or live action because Sean had pulled it away so fast. You unconsciously licked your lips when Sean bent down to place the movie in the VCR. (Guys, I just found out that DVDs didn’t exist until 1995 and DVD players didn’t come to America until 2000. Maybe that dates me a bit but uh, haha. Crazy right?)  
The bed curved down as Sean climbed onto the bed, albeit a bit awkwardly and flopped down next to you. You leaned on the wall behind you and Sean did the same, casually throwing an arm around your shoulders. You cautiously leaned into his side and he just pulled you closer.  
About half an hour into the movie, you curled up your tight covered legs on the bed. Sean shuffled a bit closer to you and you could feel your breast was coming ever so close to his chest. He had taken his grey sweater off sometime around the middle of dinner and you couldn’t help but admire how very attractive he was in his cream sweater.  
Sean’s eyes flickered to you and a blush exploded across your face. Nevertheless, you leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his jaw. When you pulled away, you could see his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down again. You swallowed whatever alarm bells were ringing in your head and leaned back in.  
You pressed your lips gently to the skin of Sean’s neck but it only persisted in fidgeting more. You looked up at Sean from where you were seated and his arms had decidedly wrapped around your waist, pulling you into a sort of straddling position on his lap.   
When your knees were settled on either side of Sean’s thighs, he pressed his hands into your back and pressed your chest onto his. The movie had completely left your mind, it was only background noise now and a shiver went through you as Sean’s fingers brushed the curve of your back.  
Your eyes widened in horror and you leaned back, placing your hands on Sean’s chest to prevent him from coming any further. A look of confusion briefly crossed Sean’s face until his eyes flashed down and back up and far to his right. He looked incredibly embarrassed and you hadn’t even realized he probably didn’t even feel them or know they were prominent until you had moved away.  
Nina’s blouse was tight on you and quite low cut, further than something you would have bought for yourself. Her skirt did you no help as it folded up from the alien feeling of the fabric stretching. Your mind flashed into danger zone then. What if the skirt went up too far and Sean saw your undies? He already knew that you either didn’t wear a bra or it was doing nothing for you if you did have one on. You hung your head in shame but Sean brought your chin up almost immediately.  
“Ah, I wouldn’t suggest uh….” Sean trailed off, pressing his left cheek into your right shoulder.  
You wanted to die. You were going to die. You were going to explode and die and Nina would never be able to ask you for advice or dress you like a doll ever again. The thought briefly crossed your mind to bring up Nina’s proposition for the not-so-double, double date. Your mind was torn in two between wanting to keep the mood you had produced or shove it far back in a corner in your closet where it would resurface in about ten years.  
Speaking of years, this night brought back memories of your girlfriend in secondary school doing exactly the same thing with you. She would take you to her room, saying the two of you were working on homework and immediately start kissing you when the door was closed.   
Looking back on it now, it felt so wonderful to have a secret. But you felt rotten inside. You knew she was just using you to make herself feel better. She was one of the prettier girls in school but obviously not over the top “gorgeous” material. The stupid shit teenage boys make up never ceased to amaze and horrify you.  
When you ended things, and you were the one to broach the subject, you promised yourself you would never look for a relationship like that ever again. The thing you had with her was purely physical and mental because it made you both confident but it also drained you. Keeping a secret for so long had tired you out so much that when she asked why you were done with her, you only sighed and said it was exhausting to keep a secret. She had hesitantly agreed with you and you managed to stay friends, but you were never as close as you once were.  
That was almost four years ago when you had graduated. It was the summer before your new job officially started in the town ten miles out. You remembered that day was colder than the others because it chilled you straight to the bone when you saw the look of absolute heart break on her face.  
“(Y/N), are you alright?”  
You blinked twice before looking down at Sean. His eyes were wide and curious. He was concerned about you. He really was the sweetest man around.  
“I’m fine Sean, this is just brought up memories from a while ago. I want to focus on the now though. Take me away, please.”  
You pressed your forehead into Sean’s shoulder and didn’t even bother suppressing the whine in your voice when you had spoken. You soon found yourself on your back with Sean hovering over you. His eyes widened as big as saucers and he started stuttering.  
“I-I j-just uh…”  
You grinned and wrapped your arms around his neck.  
“Kiss me you Лох.” (Goof :3)  
Sean complied with your demand, running his hands up and down your body while he pressed his mouth heavily to yours. Your own hand curled into his hair while the other pulled his shoulder down so your chests would press together. You both groaned at the contact.  
It went unnoticed to you that Sean had been slowly untucking your blouse from your skirt and was ready to pull it off from over your head. Without a second thought, you had raised your arms and let the fabric be ripped over your head and tossed somewhere in the vicinity of Sean’s television. Said man took a moment to admire what you were wearing.  
The bra had no padding and no lining, meaning your chest was basically out in the open without being completely out. Your heated kissing had elevated certain parts and Sean brushed his hand over your breasts and it made you moan lowly. Sean quickly went back to kissing you, occasionally cupping your breasts.  
You had detached your lips from the brunets’ and tugged on his sweater with a whine. Sean leaned back with a smirk and pulled off his sweater. This was also tossed somewhere you wouldn’t care about right now. All you cared about was Sean’s body in front of you.  
Your very first impression of him was incredibly accurate. He was very slender but not gaunt or unhealthy. He had obviously lived in a larger city because it looked like he rarely got sun. Combined with the fact that it was nearing winter made it especially hard to gain any sort of color. His skin was milky white and smooth, with a small freckle and mole dotted around every so often.  
Sean moved back to kiss you once more and his hand moved to your back. He brushed your bra hooks, silently asking permission. You arched your back, signaling that he could. He fumbled for a bit before unclasping it and sliding it off your body. His hands immediately went to your chest once again. After all the heavy touching you two had done, you were surprised that his hands were so chilled, especially since your body felt like it was on fire.  
You shivered in mute pleasure as Sean drank you in. You were truly a spectacle in this moment. The light from the television bathing you in a soft white glow that made you look like a true goddess, your hair spread around his pillow as your mock halo. Your shoulders, chest, waist and hips all moved as one has he squeezed your breasts. They had caved inwards and your thighs had brushed up against something that made your eyes snap open.   
Sean had made to move off of you but you grabbed his own hips and planted him firmly on you. The fact that you could do something like that to him somehow managed to turn him on more and he moved to run his fingers down your waist and to the band of your skirt.   
Once again, without hesitating, you lifted your hips and allowed your skirt and tights to be pulled away from you, leaving your strange underwear in place. Sean’s eyes locked on and he slowly traced his hand around your underwear without removing it. He stood up and shuffled out of his dress pants, leaving him in a pair of tight boxers that left almost nothing to the imagination.  
He climbed back on top of you and laid his hips against yours. The simple pressure made you want more so you bucked your hips upward. This made Sean gasp and he nuzzled his nose into your neck and gave you a small nibble and his tongue pressed to it afterwards.  
“You’re a naughty one, aren’t you?”  
You giggled and bucked your hips again, making Sean pull you in close. You were right next to his ear and with a large smile on your face, you spoke quietly.  
“Naughty things should never go unpunished, right?”  
(AHAHAHA seriously. Tell me when I need to change the rating. Love you all!)


End file.
